11/02/2025
🧣🧤🌬️🍁As the season shifts into darker & colder days, it’s natural for kids to want to stay indoors. To be honest, I myself am a big fan of “wintering” and turning inward during these months.
…BUT because us western New Yorkers have harsh cold winters for sometimes UP TO 8 MONTHS of the year- it’s crucial to get our kids outdoors year round!
So as the seasons change, so does our opportunity to impact your child’s development! Check out some of the reasons WHY playing outdoors in these colder months are beneficial for your child⬇️
🧠Emotional health: science tells us that exposure to natural light (yes, YEAR ROUND🙃) improves our mental health by increasing our vitamin D absorption & boosting those happy hormones (endorphins, dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin). See ya later, seasonal affective disorder (p.s. kids get S.A.D. too)
💪✨Improved physical health & sensory experiences: we know that outdoor movement builds strength, coordination, and endurance…it also offers new sensory experiences like feeling the crisp cool air, feeling elements such as rain, snow, ice and leaves, and handling different types of clothing in different weather.
🦠Immune booster: who else here wants to keep your kids as healthy as possible especially during cold & flu season?! 🙋🏼♀️outdoor play boosts immune health (thanks again, Vitamin D) but also influences the gut microbiome through exposure to dirt & natural materials, increased physical activity influence cardiovascular health.
👇Drop your favorite cold weather activities in the comments- I’ll drop mine there too!
